Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-10-04
ROGER LAROQUE.
Adapted and Translated from the French
Of Jules Mary.
BY OLIVE HARPER.


That black silk gown had Been laid away
among the legal papers, and Raymond had
taken it and folded 10 tenderly and brought
1t with him to his little apartment In Paris.
He now unfolded it and felt in the pocket,
which was made deep and wide to hold pa
pers Of moment There in the bottom,
crushed as that dead hand had crushed 1t in
shame and dishouor, was the note which had
killed Lucien as surely as II IL had been real
poison, instead OF the treachery Of those he
best loved.
Long hours this poor boy sat with this aw-
full proof before his aching eyes.
aMother, oh, my motherl" no groaned.
He had loved bis mother So Now no found
that she had been criminal She was THE
woman!
It was ali clear now. Had she loved Roger
at the date of the trial she would have como
forward and proved him innocent; but she
did not, and that proved that this was ven
geance. And the dates of the events In that
vengeance had been written on his mutilated
photograph by the hand that prepared this
vengeance. Lnroque had told the truth.
Julia was the guilty one, and he saw all that
lifo held that was precious to him slipping
away, and Suzanne was lost to him foreveri
IL was not alone because he loved his native
country that Laroquo had returned to France
He wished TO clear his name from the false
charge OF murder. He was now In Paris
searching, searching everywhere, everything
and every place which could give him the
least iden OF what could be the solution OF this
mystery. He haunted the club where be won
the 80 900 francs, but all to no purpose, and at
last he saw that he should need the services of
two expert detectives He remembered the
names and regulations Of Tristot and Pivolot,
and he decided upon employing them. Hav-
ing now as n starting point the explanation
that Suzanne had given him, he wanted to
find the man who had so resembled him as to
deceive his own wife and child.
80 he presented himself ut the pretty and
tasteful abode OF these two famous detectives,
and told them that he wished to engage their
services In difficult and delicate matter,
which should be largely paid for
"You already know something Of this mat
ter" said Roger, "and you will remember It
well when l tell you that 1t relates to tho
murder Of Larouette, and the condemnation
Of Roger Laroque for the crime he did not
commit
"But he confessed himself guilty.
because the shadow OF the crime h0 did
commit lay heavier on him than the one he
did not Listen now until you hear the truth
Of this affair from beginning to end, and then
would like your opinion"
Roger then began at the beginning and told
all we know, even giving the name OF julia
De Noirvile, and when he had finished his
auditors, accustomed rs they were to strange
tales, looked completely dumfounded.
"But how do you know all of thisP
Because am Roger Laroque, and have
come to vindicate my name at the risk OF my
life. trust in your honor, and place my life
and that Of my child in your hands"
The two detectives looked at each other In
silence and then as by one common accord
they ross and offered Roger their hands,
which he took with q grateful heart, He
knew he had found friends Tristot spoke:
ave must put aside as impossible the actual
guilt of Nine. De Noirville, though she may
have inspired it or have been an accomplice
in some way, but il we find any indication of
her guilt we shall follow her up in private
until you give us other orders Now remains
the club. Did you know all the players there
that night 1t may be that there was present
nm ancient or new lover of Mime. De Noir-
Vile Think well7
IL cannot imagine Of any person who could
have held such position The only peculiar
incident was that my friend the Baron De
Cey spoke to some one, thinking it me, calling
him by my name and touching his shoulder.
noticed tho man, as De Cey told me laugh
ingly Of the rencontre. He was large, tall,
dark and wore his hair and beard as l did
His eyes, however, were different and the
eyebrows bushy. In the evening or in the
day one could easily mistake this man for
me at the first glance. He had recently been
received into the club, and do not remem.
Der to have seen him there before, and as you
can imagine / lever went there after. His
pame is Luversan.n
Ale Is banker or broker or something OF
that sort, is he not. TrhtotP said Pivolot.
Had this man any good reason to hate
you"
"None that I know Of"
"That we must find out We will look up
this Luversan, Us well as begin again from
the beginning, this time with a view TO find
the real man, not to search proofs against an
innocent one"
II thank you with oil my heart" said
Roger, 'mors for my daughters sake than
my own. wish her to be able TO bear her
own nnmo until the day she takes that OF az
honorable and noble man who loves her and
whom she loves. As to myself, should not
care so much, but would accept my fate as
my expiation for the wrong did"
"You would be wrong, sir, for whilc you
wero away, even now, do you know what
your workmen call youi Roger tho Shame
full"
"AiasI" said Roger, with a sob which he
vainly tried TO repress.
Roger went homo TO await the result OF the
search Tristot and Pivolot were TO make.
Several days passed without a sign or word,
when one morning telegram caused him TO
present himself Mt their home
ave have not altogether lost our time"
said they, Iand we have not accomplished
much either. Still here is what We have dis
covered. We find that Luversan is not tho
real name Of him who bears 1t, but Matthias
Zuber isn
At this namo Roger started and his heart
beat quicker than usual He remembered
well that name and the man.
Did no not fight around orleansl Had he
not caught him in the very act Of treasonl
Roger remembered distinctly the letter VOW
ing vengeance that had been left for him after
this mans escape. IL that was the same man
be Enew now the motive, but how had Julia
known himi
Roger reflected a moment. "Do nothing |
more until you see me again, except 10 find c
nut all you can about Luversan's financial |
,ositiOn.n
"what do you think Of dOiugT' asked Z